When I locate a new wash, or go back to an old one, I look for patterns or similarities that have pointed me to gold in the past.
Here in Arizona the process of gold pocketing in the bedrock is a slow one. If someone got to a drop before you did, it could take years for the gold to redeposit in the same drop. Rainy years speed up the process and dry ones slow it down, unlike California where just the snow melt can bring pounds of gold down from the high mountains.
If your hitting drops but showing no color, just keep moving ( I ususally go upstream) until you start seeing gold in your pan. Once you find gold its time to start looking for those patterns that have produced in the past. This is where patience comes into play. There are atleast half a dozen tests I do to try and pin-point the streak. On a twenty five foot wide creek your trying to locate a zone usually six inches wide or less. This could take a few hours or even a few trips, but be patient and it could pay off in ways you never expected.
Good luck out there,
JKLyon
